"Planetary Origins: Young Planets Resemble Flattened Smarties, Not Spheres"
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Phys.org
Astrophysicists from the University of Central Lancashire have discovered that young planets have flattened shapes like oblate spheroids rather than being spherical, challenging previous assumptions. Using computer simulations, the researchers found that protoplanets form as flattened structures called oblate spheroids, similar to smarties, and grow predominantly from their poles rather than their equators. This finding has important implications for understanding planet formation mechanisms and suggests that observations of young planets through telescopes may depend on the viewing angle. The researchers are now working on improved computational models to further examine the shape and chemical composition of these young planets.